Waiting Time Before Revision Blepharoplasty?

Question

I had lower eyelid surgery/blepharoplasty and I am not happy with the results. How long should I wait before a second procedure, if needed?

Andrew Miller, MD · Answer

Typically, most surgeons would wait about six months. However, the main factor is the status of the lower eyelid. In general, you should not reoperate until the incision and the lid itself feels like normal tissue again. It should not be firm or swollen or another surgery could cause further problems. 
If the eyelid is not in the right position, this can often improve significantly with massage and time. However, if you are a quick healer and the eyelid feels completely normal at 4 months and you want to consider revision work, then there should be nothing stopping you. Just be sure to discuss all you concerns with your surgeon. Good luck.
Dr. Miller

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Revision Surgery

Revision eyelid surgery should be done at least 6 months
after the initial surgery to allow time for healing and tissues to soften.  Asymmetries, excess skin, fat rolls,  fat malposition can all be improved.  Other treatments may include laser or
chemical peels to tighten skin and improve texture

Steven L. Ringler, MD, FACS · Answer

It is never a good idea to revise eyelid surgery too soon. Though it is infrequent, I would typically recommend waiting 6-12 months before considering any eyelid revision, especially in the lower lids. Early re-operation increase the risks of the surgery and can result in bigger problems. There can be prolonged swelling, scar deformity and eyelid distortion if the eyelid is not completely healed and the scar tissue hasn't matured before revision surgery.
Patience is the best approach in this situation. Be sure to talk with  your surgeon about your concerns, but do not pressure him/her to re-operate too soon. You may see significant improvement in the result over time, and you will be much safer by waiting. There may be situations where corrective surgery is recommended earlier than 6 months, though rare, that usually is only if the result is putting the eye at risk for other problems.

Edward J. Gross, MD · Answer

It is actually uncommon to revise eyelid surgery results overall. If necessary, I recommend waiting a full 12 months for final healing to occur before revising. Often times, Botox can help improve the heavy areas that persist after surgery and make the results more pleasing.

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS · Answer

The time you will need to wait before revising your lower lid will depend upon which aspect of your surgery you are unhappy with. I would suggest waiting six months or more if your lid feels tight. The tissues will begin to soften and your lid will feel more normal with adequate time. If the lid is grossly retracted and your eye is having medical and visual issues, your surgeon may elect to intervene sooner. If your surgery was performed with an incision at the corner of your eyes and you are not happy with the appearance of your scar, your surgeon my elect to wait six months but, if it is grossly malformed, intervening sooner is also an option.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

A minimal of 6 months but closer to a year would be ideal.  It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  But in general for revision work, we like to wait a while to see how things shape out.

Amir M. Karam, MD · Answer

Depending on what you are revising and what was done, the minimum time you should wait is between 6 months to 1 year. It is important to have this discussion with you surgeon to understand what the issues are and potential problems associated with early revision.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Dear Alexander
While the state time frame is the general rule, individual factors play an important role.  I recommend that you discuss your concerns with your original surgeon. They may in fact be able to assist you and or modify how you are healing. No one will be more invested in making you happy than the surgeon who just operated on you. The operative surgeon should be highly motivated in this regard.
Occasionally there is a break down in the relationship with the original surgeon. These break downs like other relationships may not be resolvable. In this case, it is reasonable to shop for another opinion. In particular it might be helpful to find a surgeon who can and is willing to take over your follow up care and monitor your progress even if you 
Also there are circumstances where immediate surgical revision is needed because an eyelid will not open or close. The most important thing you need is a diagnosis of what your issues are with your surgery. I would recommend a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon.  In the UK there are relatively few with this level of specialized training and those who are so trained are generally very focused providing medically necessary oculoplastic surgery.

Julian De Silva, MD · Answer

When considering having further eyelid surgery
it is key to wait sufficient time until healing is complete from the previous
surgery which may taken 6 to 12 months. The timing of revision surgery does
depend on the indication for revision blepharoplasty and underlying symptoms. Patience is recommended, swelling is often
present for months after surgery and early intervention may be less
predictable.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

If there is an unhappy result with the primary blepharoplasty, the patient should wait at least three to four months prior to embarking on a revision blepharoplasty procedure. All of the incisions need to be completely healed, edema subsided, and the final result present prior to embarking on any revision blepharoplasty surgery.

Waiting Time Before Revision Blepharoplasty?

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